Mr Jones
by DonaldDouglasandToby6
Summary: Thomas, Percy, and Oliver have to deal with an obnoxious new postman when Tom Tipper is taken ill.


Tom Tipper the Postman delivers mail all over the island of Sodor. From stations like Knapford to places between stations, he always takes mail where the engines can't go.

But one morning, when he woke up, Tom Tipper felt off.

"I just don't feel right," he said to himself, "Oh well, I can still get to work."

He drove his mail van to Callan, where Thomas and Percy were waiting with their mail.

"Hello Tom Tipper." called Thomas.

Tom Tipper tipped his hat and unloaded the mail sacks onto the mail train. But soon he felt dizzy.

"Oooh," he groaned as he walked towards his van, "I don't feel well."

Percy was worried.

"Are you sure you're alright Tom?"

Tom Tipper turned around.

"I'm fine," he said weakly and he drove away.

Thomas and Percy looked to each other anxiously.

Later that morning, Tom Tipper drove into Mrs. Kyndley's driveway. By this point, he was coughing loudly.

"Here's your parcel m'am," he wheezed as Mrs. Kyndley took the box.

"Thank you," she said, "But are you all right? You don't sound well."

"I don't. I'm sick..."

"I'll call a doctor," said Mrs. Kyndley and she dialed 999. "Hello? Yes, we need medical assistance for a man named Thomas Tipper. Yes. He's ill with influenza I believe."

An hour later, an ambulance was outside Mrs. Kyndley's cottage.

"Thank you Mrs. Kyndley," coughed Tom Tipper as he was put in the ambulance, and the ambulance drove Tom Tipper to Hackenbeck Hospital.

That night, Thomas puffed into Knapford Station with the mail, expecting to see Tom Tipper, but instead saw a young man with glasses.

"Stupid mail..." he grumbled.

"Hello sir," said Thomas cheerfully.

The man stared at Thomas.

"I'm not a 'sir.' I'm a clever, general man named David Jones, but instead just call me 'Mr.' Jones. It sounds more formal."

"Ok..."

Then Mr. Jones got into the van.

"Wait, aren't you going to load the sacks like Tom Tipper?" asked Thomas.

"I have no time for that, I have more important credit card bills and Back-to-School gifts to give out." and Mr. Jones drove away.

"Who gives out back-to-school gifts?" asked Thomas.

"Search me," said his driver as he finished unloading the sacks.

Thomas puffed away, not sure what to make of the man.

On the Little Western, Oliver steamed into Tidmouth, to find Mr. Jones already there, tapping his foot on the platform.

"You're late." he scowled.

"Sorry," apologized Oliver, "I was held up at the crossing and-"

"No excuses," snorted Mr. Jones, "I think it's best that road handles the mail."

Oliver was speechless.

"Now hurry up and unload these bags, I need them in my van."

"Can't you do it yourself?" asked Oliver's driver.

"Of course not. I'm much too awesome to do that." grumbled Mr. Jones rudely, "Now hurry up or else I'll report you to your controller. Who, by the way, needs to eat more greens."

Oliver and his crew were furious as Oliver puffed away.

"Pardon me Mr. Oliver, but that man was rude." said Toad.

"Yes, you're quite right Toad. The sooner Tom Tipper is back, the better."

The next morning, Percy was just finishing up his rounds at Dryaw Station.

"Hello Mr. Tipper," called Percy, and Mr. Jones walked over to him.

He looked red in the face and very cross.

"You do understand the sun is rising don't you?! I never slept at all last night and I have to work all day!"

"That's not my fault," groaned Percy.

"Yes it is."

"How?!"

"Because you deliver the mail, then I have to deliver the mail, then I get lazy and then I just give up." said Mr. Jones matter-of-factly.

"Yes... That makes total sense,' snorted Percy.

"Now be off with you," shouted Mr. Jones.

Percy was also fuming.

"What a rude guy," he thought.

At Tidmouth, Thomas, Percy, and Oliver talked about their experiences with Mr. Jones.

"He was very rude to me," complained Percy.

"He said the road should take the mail instead of the railway," fumed Oliver.

"He wasn't too bad with me," admitted Thomas, "But he was pretty obnoxious."

"There's got to be something we can do," concluded Percy, but nobody knew what.

Meanwhile, David Jones was driving down the road towards Crosby.

He yawned and sipped his coffee as he drove into the Crosby Coal Company.

"Here's your stupid model train for your kid," he grumbled to the manager.

"Uh... I didn't-"

"Yes you did, your kid loves model trains... I think... Well, enjoy your electronic train." and Mr. Jones drove away.

"What the heck..." cried the manager.

Mr. Jones made some more faulty deliveries that day; he gave Farmer McColl a couch when he didn't order one, and he gave the Thin Controller an expensive watch when he ordered the couch.

Farmer McColl was not happy as he dialed up the "Sodor Mail" company.

"Why did your stupid postman give me a couch when I ordered a watch!?"

"Sorry sir, we'll get to the bottom of it," promised a man on the other end.

"David Jones..." the man scowled to some other men in suits.

"We'll fetch him," said a man.

David Jones was at his house at Suddery drinking coffee and watching TV.

"Heh heh, this show never fails to impress." His cell phone rang and he answered it.

When he heard who was on the other end, he panicked.

"Oh darn it!"

He drove away in his red van towards the Mail Company building by Suddery.

At Suddery, the red van pulled into the parking lot.

"I've been expecting you," said a man at the door.

David Jones gulped and walked inside the building.

Thomas watched with interest from the platform.

"I want a a word with you," growled the man, "We have reports of you not delivering mail."

"Uh.. Well.. The reason for that, is... Um..."

"You need a lesson in mail," and Mr. Jones got a lecture about hard work and how bad the economy was right now.

"So I'm sure you don't want to lose your job..."

Mr. Jones gulped.

"N-n-no sir!"

"Then do it right, or else you'll be out of a job." and the man slammed the door. Thomas grinned and puffed away to tell the others.

Percy and Oliver were talking at Tidmouth Hault when Thomas arrived.

"Hello Thomas," said Oliver. "Guys, I don't think we'll have to deal with David Jones anymore." said Thomas happily. "

What? What do you mean?" asked Percy, and Thomas explained what he had heard at Suddery.

Percy and Oliver chuckled.

"Well, I'm sure he won't bother us again," agreed Percy.

Just then David Jones drove up in his van. He got out of his van and walked up to the engines.

"I'm... I'm sorry for what I did." he said solemnly, "I see now you're all useful engines, even if it is odd you have minds of your own."

The engines smiled, and soon they became good friends with Mr. Jones, although they were even happier when Tom Tipper came back.


End file.
